Videos on the U.S. and American Studies

24 hours, 24 million meals feeding New York 2009

"It may be a hub of global business and culture, but on a more primal level, New York City is a place where weight million people hustle to fill their stomachs. This program depicts a day in the life of the culinary community that feeds the Big Apple. The story begins in the Bronx, just after midnight, with the first stirrings of the New York City Terminal Produce Market. At 2 a.m., Chelsea Market bakeries are busy making dough. Two hours later, forklifts rumble through the New Fulton Fish Market, essentially a refrigerated warehouse the size of three football fields. Then its on to the 7-a.m. booth set-ups at the Union Square Green-market. In the hours of high-speed commerce that follow, viewers meet a wide assortment of culinary professionals-including a chef who manages a hectic kitchen, a gourmet truffle salesman just returned from Italy, and two men committed to feeding the disadvantaged New Yorkers."--Container. 1 videodisc (43 min.)

MEDIA 10-4570

 

9/11 toxic legacy 2006

Susan Teskey, Meghan Frank, Michael Hanrahan, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation , Discovery Times Channel (Firm), and CBC Learning (Firm)

Examines the health dangers resulting from the fallout of September 11. 1 videodisc (ca. 45 min.)

MEDIA 10-1183

 

Adam Clayton Powell 2009

Richard Kilberg, Phyllis Garland, Yvonne Smith, Julian Bond, Channel Four Films (Firm), Cine Information, Inc, RKB Productions, Docurama (Firm), and New Video Group

A look at the most influential and flamboyant civil rights leader in America from the 1930s through the 1950s. From his emergence as a pastor of Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church, to his riotous political climb and eventual ruin. He had an illustrious but controversial career. He had multiple marriages, taunted the white establishment, his desegregation of Congress, and his shameful smearing of Martin Luther King Jr. 1 videodisc (ca. 54 min.)

MEDIA 10-2040  2-1382

 

At home in utopia c2008

Focuses on the United Workers Cooperative Colony, aka the Coops, the most grass-roots and member-driven of the Jewish labor housing cooperatives, where many of the residents were Communists or sympathetic to the communist movement. Beginning as a stalwartly secular East European Jewish working class enclave, they were part of an international movement. This film bears witness to lives lived with courage across the barriers of race, nation, language, convention, and sometimes even common sense.  1 videodisc (57 min.)

MEDIA 10-4288

 

The ballad of Greenwich Village 2005?

Karen Kramer, Lili Taylor, Karen Kramer Films, Erzulie Films, and Filmakers Library, inc

Explores the history of Greenwich Village, especially as a home for radical social and political movements as well as creative artists, musicians, and writers. 1 videodisc (70 min.)

MEDIA 10-1774

 

Battle for Brooklyn c2013

The story of a reluctant activist Daniel Goldstein as he struggles to save his home and community from being demolished to make way for a professional basketball arena and densest real estate development in U.S. history. 1 videodisc (95 min.)

MEDIA 10-4210

 

Been rich all my life c2005

Meet the Silver Belles, five tap dancers who performed in 1930's Harlem at the famed Apollo and Cotton Club. Together again, they're dancing to standing ovations and sharing stories of the Harlem Renaissance. 1 videodisc (80 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3764

 

Breakfast at Tiffany's c2009, 1961

Blake Edwards, Martin Jurow, Richard A Shepherd, George Axelrod, Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Mickey Rooney, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, Josae Luis de Vilallonga, John McGiver, Alan Reed, Dorothy Whitney, Stanley Adams, Elvia Allman, Beverly Powers , Claude Stroud, Henry Mancini, Howard E Smith, Franz E Planer, Truman Capote, Paramount Pictures, and Paramount Home Entertainment (Firm)

Holly Golightly is an eccentric New York City playgirl determined to marry a Brazilian millionaire. Her next-door neighbor, a writer, is "sponsored" by a wealthy patroness. Guessing who's the right man for Holly is easy; seeing just how romance blossoms is one of the enduring delights of the film. 2 videodiscs (114 min.)

MEDIA 10-1622

 

Brooklyn matters c2007

Isabel Hill, Marlo Marron, Building History Productions, and New Day Films

"Exposes how, in one community, powerful real estate interests and politicians collaborate to circumvent local laws, seize private property through eminent domain, manipulate public participation and racial politics to push forward what could become the densest development in the United States"--Container. 1 videodisc (50 min., 19 sec.)

MEDIA    DANA 10-1523       460

 

The cats of Mirikitani c2009

"Eighty-year-old Jimmy Mirikitani survived the trauma of WWII internment camps, Hiroshima, and homelessness by creating art. But when 9/11 threatens his life on the New York City streets and a local filmmaker brings him to her home, the two embark on a journey to confront Jimmy's painful past. An intimate exploration of the lingering wounds of war and the healing powers of community and art ..."--Container. 1 videodisc (73 min.)

MEDIA 10-4958

 

The Central Park five 2013

Chronicles America's complicated perceptions of race and crime through the story of the "Central Park 5" -- a group of minority teenagers wrongfully convicted and jailed for brutally raping a white woman in New York. 1 videodisc (119 min.)

MEDIA 10-4274

 

Cuban roots Bronx stories 2007?

Pam Sporn, Pablo Eliott Foster Carrión, and Newsreel (Firm)

Highlights the historical journey of a black Cuban family who immigrated from Cuba to the Bronx in 1962. 1 videodisc (58 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2857

 

Dark days 2011

Marc Singer, Melissa Neidich, DJ Shadow, Picture Farm (Firm), and Oscilloscope Pictures

For years, a homeless community took root in a train tunnel beneath New York City, braving dangerous conditions and perpetual night. Dark Days explores the surprisingly domestic subterranean world, unearthing a way of life unimaginable to those above. Through stories simultaneously heartbreaking, hilarious, intimate, and off the cuff, tunnel dwellers reveal their reasons for taking refuge and their struggle to survive underground. 2 videodiscs (82 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3438

 

A day's work, a day's pay c2001

Kathy Leichter, Jonathan Skurnik, Tamara Tunie, Mint Leaf Productions, Independent Television Service, and New Day Films

"Follows three welfare recipients in New York City from 1997 to 2000 as they participate in the largest welfare-to-work program in the nation. When forced to work at city jobs for well below the prevailing wage and deprived of the chance to go to school, these individuals decide to fight back, demanding programs that will help them get off welfare and into real jobs"--Container. 1 videodisc (58 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3426

 

El sueńo americano puertorriqueńos y mexicanos en Nueva York = The American dream c2007

Sonia Fritz, Isla Films, and Cinema Guild

Documents the social and economic conditions of Puerto Rican and Mexican immigrants in New York City. 1 videodisc (ca. 30 min.)

MEDIA 10-1184

 

Electric boogie 2010?, c1983

Tana Ross, Freke Vuijst, Green Room Productions, and Filmakers Library, inc

Focuses on four teenagers, two Black and two Puerto Rican, who perform their pulsating, gyrating dance routines on the streets of New York City's South Bronx. Shows the group, which calls itself the Electric Boogie Boys, practicing, playing basketball, relaxing at home, and competing in local dance contest. Contrasts the youngsters' vitality, ambition, and talent with the grimness of their city surroundings. 1 videodisc (30 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2524

 

Excuse my gangsta ways c2008

Corinne E Manabat and Newsreel (Firm)

"We all go through transitions in life, whether it's a career change, or moving, but for Davina Wan, hers has been very extreme - from the gang life to a "normal" life. Excuse My Gangsta Ways is a visual poetic documentary portrait on Davina Wan, a Chinese American woman, who was a former gang member from the 1990s Lower East Side. With interviews from her grandmother and godfather, we will take a look at the person she was and the person she has become, where fate and inspiration endure"--Third World Newsreel website. 1 videodisc (15 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2540

 

Five points 2006

Joshua Brown, Stephen Brier, and American Social History Project

"The story of 1950s New York City and its notorious immigrant slum district, The Five Points, is seen through the conflicting perspectives of a native born Protestant reformer and an Irish-Catholic family. Through these personal stories, Five Points chronicles the daily life of the lower Manhattan working-class neighborhood, the labor and culture of Irish immigrants, and their role in the rise of pre-Civil War America's great cities"--Container. 1 videodisc (23 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3208

 

From mambo to hip hop a Bronx tale 2009?

Henry Chalfant, Elena Martainez, Steven J Zeitlin, Marci Reaven, City Lore (Organization), Public Art Films, Inc, Independent Television Service, Latino Public Broadcasting (Firm), and MVD Visual (Firm)

An "hour-long documentary that tells a story about the creative life of the South Bronx, beginning with the Puerto Rican migration and the adoption of Cuban rhythms to create the New York salsa sound; continuing with the fires that destroyed the neighborhood but not the creative spirit of its people; chronicling the rise of hip hop from the ashes; and ending with reflections on the power of the neighborhood's music to ensure the survival of several generations of its residents, and, in the process, take the world's pop culture by storm"--Container. 1 videodisc (ca. 56 min.)

MEDIA 10-1776

 

From these roots a review of the "Harlem Renaissance" 1974

Uses still photographs and filmed sequences to recreate the social and political climate of the Harlem renaissance--a period of great artistic and cultural activity in the 1920's which had, and still has, a profound influence on black American art and self-awareness and life-style. 1 videocassette (ca. 30 min.)

MEDIA 10-4612

 

The gods of Times Square 2007

Shot between 1993 and 1998 to examine the religious fanatics, doomsday prophets, drug addicts, and marginized street folk as they roam the streets of the former haven of free speech known as Times Square. 2 videodiscs (114 min.)

MEDIA 10-4728

 

Grrrl love and revolution Riot grrrl NYC 2011

Abby Moser, Bikini Kill (Musical group), Double Zero (Musical group), Tribe 8 (Musical group), Team Dresch (Musical group) , and Women Make Movies (Firm)

"Despite the intense media interest in Riot Grrrl, very little video documentation of this ... facet of feminist and pop culture history exists. This is due in part to a decision by Riot Grrrls to no longer engage with the mainstream media in response to stories that trivialized the movement while appropriating the term 'riot grrrl' to sell everything from perfume to t-shirts to the Spice Girls. It was also due to a desire by Riot Grrrls to make their own media and culture. Filmmaker Abby Moser was both a participant and an observer of Riot Grrrl NYC. Between 1993 and 1996 she shot over 100 hours of original footage of Riot Grrrl meetings and events, and interviews with individual members ... In 1998 two rough cuts of the film (18 min. and 40 min.) were completed and screened ... [This final cut of the film] provides an in-depth investigation of the movement while it was happening and from the perspective of an entire Riot Grrrl chapter."--Website. 1 videodisc (45 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3591

 

Heaven will protect the working girl 2006

Pennee Bender, Joshua Brown, Andrea Ades Vasquez, Stephen Brier, and American Social History Project

"The dramatic story of the "Uprising of the 20,000," the 1909 shirtwaist strike, is told through vignettes that explore immigrant women's lives in turn-of-the-century New York. The experiences of young Jewish and Italian working women address subjects including immigration, intergenerational conflict, "romance," ethnic tensions, industrial conflict, and the creation of a new consumer and entertainment culture"--Container. 1 videodisc (28 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3207

 

Hookers at the Point Hookers at the Point : going out again 2002

Brent Owens, Going Out Productions, Inc, Delta Entertainment Corporation, and MTI Film & Video

A look at the world of prostitution at Hunts Point in the Bronx. The director observes the underworld as well as gives several women a chance to tell their life stories. A special bonus, Hookers at the Point ; going out again is a follow up on the personalities from the first film and we see where "The Life" has led them. 1 videodisc (ca. 90 min.)

MEDIA 10-281

 

Jean-Michel Basquiat the radiant child  2010

Tamra Davis, David Koh, Arthouse Films, Curiously Bright Entertainment (Firm), LM Media (Firm), Fortissimo Films, and New Video Group

In his short career, Jean-Michel Basquiat was a phenomenon. He became notorious for his graffiti art under the moniker Samo in the late 1970s on the Lower East Side scene, sold his first painting to Deborah Harry for $200, and became best friends with Andy Warhol. Appreciated by both the art cognoscenti and the public, Basquiat was launched into international stardom. 1 videodisc (ca. 93 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2465

 

Knock off die rache am logo 2004

Katharina Weingartner, Anette Baldauf, Knock Off Productions, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, Arte (Firm), and First Run/Icarus Films

"A reflection on branding and globalization, framed by a journey up the world's longest shopping strip, Broadway in New York City, a veritable meridian of counterfeit selling... Documents an underground economy of people who resist the globalized culture of brands, by using the science of branding against itself" . 1 videodisc (44 min.)

MEDIA 10-1828

 

A life apart Hasidism in America 2001?

A life apart relates the story of the creation of the Hasidic post-Holocaust communities in the United States. Seven years in the making, this documentary explores Hasidic homes, schools, and ceremonies. 1 videodisc (95 min.)

MEDIA 10-5197

 

Love & Diane c2002

Jennifer Dworkin, Independent Television Service, Women Make Movies (Firm), Audiovisuel Multimedia International Production, ARTE France, and Chilmark Productions

This film documents one New York City family's struggle to become a family again. 1 videocassette (167 min.)

MEDIA 10-3044        2-6304

 

Man on wire c2008

James Marsh, Simon Chinn, Philippe Petit, Michael Nyman, J Ralph, Philippe Petit, Discovery Films, BBC Storyville (Firm), UK Film Council, Wall to Wall (Firm), Red Box Films, and Magnolia Home Entertainment (Firm)

"On August 7th, 1974, a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between the New York World Trade Center's Twin Towers. After dancing for nearly an hour on the wire, he was arrested, taken for psychological evaluation, and brought to jail, before finally being released. This extraordinary documentary incorporates Petit's personal footage to show how he overcame seemingly insurmountable challenges to achieve the artistic crime of the century."--Container. 1 videodisc (94 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3461

 

Mean streets 1973, c1991

Martin Scorsese, Jonathan T Taplin, Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, David Proval, Amy Robinson, Richard Romanus, Cesare Danova, Warner Home Video (Firm), and Warner Bros

A small-time hood with ambitions of moving up the ladder of organized crime is stymied by his own inadequacies and the company he keeps.  The milieu of Little Italy is depicted as the director himself experienced it. 1 videocassette (112 min.)  DVD

MEDIA      MEDIA 2-1957           10-71

 

Megamall a story of money, power, politics, and the American landscape 2010

Vera Aronow, Sarah Mondale, Roger Grange, Tom Phillips, James Howard Kunstler, Roberta Brandes Gratz, Donovan D Rypkema, Turnstone Productions, Stone Lantern Films, and Bullfrog Films

"Documents the origins of the massive Palisades Center mall and its impact on suburban Rockland County, New York, 18 miles north of Manhattan. The film kicks off when the biggest mall developer in the Northeast comes to the smallest county in New York to build its biggest mall yet on a toxic dump, one mile from the filmmakers' homes. That move sparks a citizen uprising which lasts almost 20 years"--Container. 1 videodisc (81 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2375

 

The New York films c2009

Chantal Akerman, Helene Films, Unitae Trois, Institut national de l'audiovisuel (France), Paradise Films, Janus Films, and Criterion Collection (Firm)

La chambre: The furniture and clutter of one small apartment room becomes the subject of moving still life in this experimental short film.
Hotel Monterey: A cheap Manhattan hotel glows with mystery and unexpected beauty.
News from home: This unforgettable time capsule of the city is a gorgeous meditation on urban alienation and personal and familial disconnection
Je tu il elle: Chantal Akerman stars as an aimless young woman who leaves self-imposed isolation to embark on a road trip that leads to lonely love affairs with a male truck driver and a former girlfriend.
Les rendez-vous d’Anna : Anna, an accomplished filmmaker (played by Aurore Clément), makes her way through a series of European cities to promote her latest movie. 1 videodisc (159 min.)

MEDIA 10-1656

 

On the Bowery 2012

A documentary film of men living on the Bowery. Depicts life inside the bars and on the sidewalks, the alcoholism and unemployment and life on the streets. Good times, wonderful times: This antiwar film predated Viet Nam, but had great impact in the sixties. The film cuts between documentary war footage and extemporized conversations. Out: A documentary about the plight of Hungarian refugees. 2 videodiscs (134 min.)

MEDIA 10-5548

 

Our Lady Queen of Harlem 2008

Trina Rodriguez

"On a crumbling sidewalk in the heart of Spanish Harlem, a small but impassioned group of women are fighting for their community. When the Archdiocese of New York locked the doors of the church where many of them spent their entire lives worshiping, this determined family of parishioners decided to resist the ministerial decision and take matters into their own hands. A portrait of faith and disobedience, Our Lady Queen of Harlem is an exploration of activism and the very definition of church."--TWN website. 1 videodisc (17 min.)

MEDIA 10-2057

 

Paul Goodman changed my life c2011

Jonathon Lee, Kimberly Reed, JSL Films, Independent Feature Project, and Zeitgeist Films

This film immerses you in a era of high intellect when New York was peaking culturally and artistically; when ideas, and the people who propounded them, seemed to punch in at a higher weight class than they do now.  Using a treasure trove of archival multimedia -- director/producer Jonathan Lee and producer/editor Kimberly Reed have woven together a rich portrait of an intellectual heavyweight whose ideas are long overdue for rediscovery. 1 videodisc (89 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3583

 

Primetime fighting back against foreclosure c2009

Manauvaskar Kublall,  Jennifer Fasulo, and Newsreel (Firm)

Documentary looks at two New York City women who are dealing with the potential foreclosure of their homes. The complex issues of subprime mortgage loans is explored and how the foreclosure crises has had a disproportionate impact on communities of color. 1 videodisc (23 min.)

MEDIA 10-2093

 

The quiet one 2007, 1948

Sidney Meyers, Marie Evans Davis, Sadie Stockton, Donald Thompson, and Alpha Home Entertainment (Firm)

An award-winning documentary filmed on the streets of Harlem in the late 1940's which shows the devastating psychological effects of life in the ghetto on a ten year-old boy named Donald. Abandoned by his parents, Donald lives a life of quiet despair until he is sent to Wiltwyck School for Boys for psychiatric care. 1 videodisc (65 min.)

MEDIA             MEDIA 10-1362               2-1365

 

Sidewalk c2007

It has been a decade and a half since a streetcorner book vendor and intellectual named Hakim Hasan introduced Mitchell Duneier to the people he came to write about in the book Sidewalk (1999).  Now Duneier has collaborated with director Barry Alexander Brown and photographer Ovie Carter to provide a visual presentation that begins where the book ended.  It updates the stories of Ron, Mudrick, Ishmael, Butteroll, and other unhoused vendors on Sixth Avenue in Greenwich Village, showing what happened as they struggled in the wake of new economic and political realities, including those associated with September 11, 2001. It also contains footage from an interview Duneier did with Jane Jacobs, her last before she died in 2006.  The DVD also contains a panel discussion about the film with Cornel West and Kim Hopper at the American Sociological Association's annual meeting; and Duneier's introductory lecture on ethnographic method, in which two sidewalk vendors visit his Princeton class. 1 videodisc (60 min.)

MEDIA 10-4095

 

Take it from me welfare is only part of the story c2008

Emily Abt, Geeta Gandbhir, Eliot Ferguson, and Pureland Pictures

Follows four mothers in New York City over the course of a year as they struggle to comply with new work requirements, find reliable child care and transportation, battle drug addiction and depression, confront domestic violence, and try to make ends meet in the new era of welfare reform. 1 videodisc (75 min.)

MEDIA 10-1535

 

Tea & justice the life & times of NYPD's 1st Asian women officers 2010

Ermena Vinluan, Touch Base Productions, and Women Make Movies (Firm)

"Tea & Justice chronicles the experiences of three women who joined the New York Police Department during the 1980s--the first Asian women to become members of a force that was largely white and predominantly male. In this award-winning documentary, Officer Trish Ormsby and Detectives Agnes Chan and Christine Leung share their fascinating stories about careers and personal lives, as well as satisfactions and risks on the job, the stereotypes they defied, and how they persevered"--Container. 1 videodisc (55 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3582

 

That old gang of mine 1996

Carlos de Jesus and Filmakers Library, inc

A portrait of growing up in New York city's El Barrio in the late 1940's and '50s set against that neighborhood as it exists today. 1 videodisc (56 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2947

 

Three days on big city waters 1974

Michael Aaron Rockland

Records an actual trip taken Labor Day Weekend 1973 by Rockland and Woolfolk, who traveled by canoe from Princeton, N.J. to Manhattan. Includes pictorial and verbal comments on shore-line pollution and on Ellis Island, former reception center for immigrants entering the U.S. 1 videocassette (ca. 50 min.)

MEDIA 10-3557

 

Triangle remembering the fire c2011

The fire that tore through the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City on March 25, 1911, was the worst workplace disaster in New York until 9/11. Sprinkler systems, fire drills and adequate fire escapes might have prevented the deaths of 146 garment workers (mostly women & teenage girls), but the government refused to pass laws mandating their use in industry. This documentary, made in honor of the 100th anniversary of the fire, tells the story of the fire through descendants of the victims and survivors. 1 videodisc (39 min.)

MEDIA 10-5200

 

Under our skin c2008

Andy Abrahams Wilson, Eva Ilona Brzeski, Eve Morgenstern, Open Eye Pictures, and Shadow Distribution (Firm)

Investigates the story of Lyme disease, one of the most controversial and fastest growing epidemics of our time.  Each year thousands go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, often being told "it is all in their head." Follows the stories of patients and physicians as they deal with the difficulties of diagnosis and treatment  within the U.S. health care system. Describes the suppression of research and a conspiracy of silence between big pharma, medical insurance companies and medical research facilities in the area of Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment.  Intended to create a greater awareness of the physical, emotional, and social affects of Lyme disease. 1 videodisc (104 min.) ;

MEDIA 10-2001

 

Very young girls 2008?

David Schisgall, Nina Alvarez, Priya Swaminathan, Swinging T Productions, Showtime Networks, and Girls Educational & Mentoring Services

"Very young girls is an expose of human trafficking that follows thirteen and fourteen year old American girls as they are seduced, abused, and sold on New York's streets by pimps, and treated as adult criminals by police. The film follows the barely-adolescent girls in real time, using verite and intimate interviews. The film identifies hope for these girls in the organization GEMS (Girls Education and Mentoring Services), a recovery center founded and run by Rachel Lloyd, herself a survivor of sexual exploitation."--Producer. 1 videodisc (84 min.)

MEDIA 10-1893

 

West 47th Street c2003

Bill Lichtenstein, June Peoples, and Lichtenstein Creative Media, Inc

This documentary provides an unprecedented window on the lives of mentally ill people. It is set at Fountain House, a rehabilitation program for people with serious mental illness located in New York City's Hell's Kitchen. 1 videodisc (83 min.)

MEDIA 10-1191

 

Whose barrio? 2009

" ... an emotionally charged look at the changes in Manhattan's Spanish Harlem as real estate speculation pushes rents and property values past the point of affordability for most area residents"--Container. 1 videodisc (49 min.)

MEDIA 10-3992

 

Working girls 1987

Lizzie Borden, Andi Gladstone, Louise Smith, Ellen McElduff, Amanda Goodwin, Marusia Zach, Janne Peters, and Helen Nicholas

With humour and candor, producer Lizzie Borden recreates a typical day in the life of a middle class brothel in New York City, and lets the viewer share the experience of women paid to guarantee satisfaction as told from a woman's perspective. The film treats prostitutes less as stereotypes and more as people--people with feelings, concerns, goals and dreams--just like anybody else. 1 videocassette (93 min.)

MEDIA  MEDIA 2-1868      10-1495

 

Zipper "[A] chronicle of the efforts to redevelop an iconic American landmark. On a small rented lot in the heart of Coney Island's gritty amusement district, Eddie Miranda proudly operates a 38-year-old carnival ride called the Zipper. When an ambitious real estate mogul sets his sights on the lot and the surrounding property, circumstances force Miranda, his ride, and many of Coney Island's eclectic small businesses to leave. Behind the scenes, a high-stakes power struggle between the developer and the City of New York takes place. Both see the redevelopment of Coney Island's waterfront real estate as a lucrative opportunity. They lock horns when the City denounces the developer's glitzy vision of condos and shopping, and ironically, hatches its own grand scheme to transform the area with the promise of housing and retail. Four years in the making, Zipper covers the politics behind-the-scenes as the city first proposes a seaside rezoning that would set aside 15 acres for amusements - and then months later reduces the amusement area plan to 9 acres. The film features interviews with past and present city officials such as Lynn Kelly, Seth Pinksy, Robert Lieber and Councilman Domenic Recchia Jr."--Container. 1 videodisc (77 min.)

MEDIA 10-5213

 

80 blocks from Tiffany's c1985

Gary Weis, Jon Bradshaw, Above Average (Firm), Late Night Productions, and Pacific Arts Video Records

A documentary on the people of the South Bronx. Includes interviews with community workers, police, reformed gang members, etc., who share their problems of urban life and give their own point of view which is very humorous at times. 1 videocassette (ca. 72 min.)

MEDIA 2-7855

 

9/11 toxic legacy 2006

Susan Teskey, Meghan Frank, Michael Hanrahan, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation , Discovery Times Channel (Firm), and CBC Learning (Firm)

Examines the health dangers resulting from the fallout of September 11. 1 videodisc (ca. 45 min.)

MEDIA 10-1183

 

Adam Clayton Powell 1989

Richard Kilberg, Yvonne Smith, and Julian Bond

Highlighting both his remarkable achievements and his fatal flaws, this is a dramatic portrait of the flamboyant minister and congressman whom became one of the most powerful, controversial politicians of his time. 1 videocassette (53 min.)

 MEDIA DANA  2-1382  282

 

The African burial ground an American discovery 1994

Christopher Moore, David Kutz, Ruby Dee, and Ossie Davis

Explores the history and archeological excavation of a burial ground for African slaves discovered in lower Manhattan Island, New York, during construction of Federal office building in the summer of 1991. Relates also the effect of the discovery on understanding the role of Afro-Americans in colonial American life. 1 videocassette (118 min.)

 MEDIA  DANA  2-5751  643

 

The Age of innocence 1993

Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder, Martin Scorsese, Edith Wharton, Barbara De Fina, and Jay Cocks

"A ravishing romance about three wealthy New Yorkers caught in a tragic love triangle, the ironically-titled story chronicles the grandeur and hypocrisy of high society in the 1870's"--Container. 1 videocassette (138 min.)

MEDIA 2-2842

 

The ballad of Greenwich Village 2005?

Karen Kramer, Lili Taylor, Karen Kramer Films, Erzulie Films, and Filmakers Library, inc

Explores the history of Greenwich Village, especially as a home for radical social and political movements as well as creative artists, musicians, and writers. 1 videodisc (70 min.)

MEDIA 10-1774

 

Breakfast at Tiffany's c2009, 1961

Blake Edwards, Martin Jurow, Richard A Shepherd, George Axelrod, Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Mickey Rooney, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, Josae Luis de Vilallonga, John McGiver, Alan Reed, Dorothy Whitney, Stanley Adams, Elvia Allman, Beverly Powers , Claude Stroud, Henry Mancini, Howard E Smith, Franz E Planer, Truman Capote, Paramount Pictures, and Paramount Home Entertainment (Firm)

Holly Golightly is an eccentric New York City playgirl determined to marry a Brazilian millionaire. Her next-door neighbor, a writer, is "sponsored" by a wealthy patroness. Guessing who's the right man for Holly is easy; seeing just how romance blossoms is one of the enduring delights of the film. 2 videodiscs (114 min.)

MEDIA 10-1622

 

Broadway the American musical c2010

Michael Kantor, Marc Fields, Laurence Maslon, JoAnn Young, Jeff Dupre, Sally Rosenthal, Julie Andrews, Ghost Light Films, WNET (Television station : New York, N.Y.), Nihon H?os?o Ky?okai, British Broadcasting Corporation, Carlton International Media Limited, and PBS Video

This documentary series details the razzle-dazzle history of a unique American art form. Each episode chronicles a different era and features the Broadway shows and song that defined the period. The series draws on feature films, rare television moments, archival news footage, original cast recordings, still photos, diaries, journals, first person accounts, and on-camera interviews with many of the principals involved in creating the American musical. 3 videodiscs (ca. 120  min. each)

MUSIC. MUSIC. MUSIC 279 v.1 279 v.2 279 v.3

 

Brooklyn Bridge 1996

Ken Burns and David G McCullough

Part 1 details the building of the Bridge, the involvement of the Roebling family in its construction and the many engineering innovations and difficulties involved. Part 2 discusses the Brooklyn Bridge as a symbol of strength, vitality, ingenuity, and promise in American culture. 1 videocassette (ca. 58 min.)

DANA 1375

 

Brooklyn matters c2007

Isabel Hill, Marlo Marron, Building History Productions, and New Day Films

"Exposes how, in one community, powerful real estate interests and politicians collaborate to circumvent local laws, seize private property through eminent domain, manipulate public participation and racial politics to push forward what could become the densest development in the United States"--Container. 1 videodisc (50 min., 19 sec.)

MEDIA    DANA 10-1523       460

 

The cats of Mirikitani c2006

Linda Hattendorf, Masa Yoshikawa, Lucid Dreaming (Firm), Independent Television Service, and Center for Asian American Media

"Jimmy Mirikitani survived the trauma of WWII internment camps, Hiroshima, and homelessness by creating art. But when 9/11 threatens his life on the New York City streets and a local filmmaker brings him to her home, the two embark on a journey to confront Jimmy's painful past. An intimate exploration of the lingering wounds of war and the healing powers of friendship and art."--Producers. 1 videodisc (74 min.)

DANA 365

 

Desi South Asians in New York 2000

Shebana Coelho, Skjalg Molvaer, Ignition Point (Firm), WNET (Television station : New York, N.Y.), Educational Broadcasting Corporation, and Center for Asian American Media

Presents dozens of first- and second generation New Yorkers who share their insights, reflections and experiences to illustrate the wide spectrum of Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, Nepalese and other South Asians who have become an integral part of the city. 1 videodisc (58 min.)

DANA 367

 

Dog day afternoon 1975, 1998

Sidney Lumet, Martin Bregman, Martin Elfand, Frank R Pierson, Al Pacino, John Cazale, James Broderick, and Charles Durning

On a hot Brooklyn afternoon, two optimistic losers set out to rob a bank. Sonny (Al Pacino) is the mastermind, Sal (John Cazale) is the follower. Disaster is the result because the cops, crowds, TV cameras and even the pizza man have arrived and the well-planned heist is now a circus. 1 videocassette (135 min.)

MEDIA 2-3793

 

Dreams ensnared the Dominican migration to New York 1994

Sonia Fritz, Cristina Soler, and Elaine Torres

Focuses on the problems confronting Dominican immigrants in New York and their reasons for coming to the United States. 1 videocassette (21 min.)

MEDIA 2-2854

 

El sueńo americano puertorriqueńos y mexicanos en Nueva York = The American dream c2007

Sonia Fritz, Isla Films, and Cinema Guild

Documents the social and economic conditions of Puerto Rican and Mexican immigrants in New York City. 1 videodisc (ca. 30 min.)

MEDIA 10-1184

 

Fires in the mirror Crown Heights, Brooklyn and other identities 1993

Anna Deavere Smith, Cherie Fortis, and George C Wolfe

Nineteen theatrical portraits, interspersed with news photos and footage, convey the characters and feelings of the people who experienced the racial conflicts between African-American and Jewish residents of Crown Heights in 1991.  Based on verbatim excerpts from interviews. 1 videocassette (80 min.)

MEDIA     DANA 2-2043         1816

 

Frances Steloff memoirs of a bookseller / produced, directed and edited by Deborah Dickson 1987

Frances Steloff, Marian Seldes, and Deborah Dickson

An intimate portrait of Francis Steloff, the founder of the Gotham Book Mart, center for avant-garde literature and literati since 1920. Includes an interview with Steloff. 1 videocassette (28 min.)

DANA 294

 

From mambo to hip hop a Bronx tale 2009?

Henry Chalfant, Elena Martainez, Steven J Zeitlin, Marci Reaven, City Lore (Organization), Public Art Films, Inc, Independent Television Service, Latino Public Broadcasting (Firm), and MVD Visual (Firm)

An "hour-long documentary that tells a story about the creative life of the South Bronx, beginning with the Puerto Rican migration and the adoption of Cuban rhythms to create the New York salsa sound; continuing with the fires that destroyed the neighborhood but not the creative spirit of its people; chronicling the rise of hip hop from the ashes; and ending with reflections on the power of the neighborhood's music to ensure the survival of several generations of its residents, and, in the process, take the world's pop culture by storm"--Container. 1 videodisc (ca. 56 min.)

MEDIA 10-1776

 

From these roots a review of the "Harlem Renaissance" 1974

William Greaves and Brock Peters

Uses still photographs and filmed sequences to recreate the social and political climate of the Harlem renaissance--a period of great artistic and cultural activity in the 1920's which had, and still has, a profound influence on black American art and self-awareness and life-style. 1 videocassette (ca. 30 min.)

MEDIA 2-1703

 

The golden age of Second Avenue 198-?

Bernardi Herschel, Molly Picon, Berta Gersten, Jacob Ben-Ami, Celia Adler, Jacob Kalich, Paul Muni, Menasha Skulni, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Arthur Cantor

"A chronicle of Yiddish theatre in America, from its beginnings at the turn of the century through its various declines and rebirths, to its present place in the folklore of American-Jewish life."--Container. 1 videocassette (70 min.)

DANA 1180

 

A great day in Harlem 1999

Jean Bach, Matthew Seig, Susan Peehl, Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Hinton, Jonah Jones, BWE Video (Firm), Castle Hill Productions, and Image Entertainment (Firm)

A great day in Harlem tells the story of Art Kane's famous 1958 group photograph of the jazz greats of the period. Includes home movie footage of that day of the musicians arriving and greeting each other the morning of the shoot. Also includes conversations with musicians and archival performance footage. The spitball story is a short film about Dizzy Gillespie's antics as a performer in Cab Calloway's band. Includes interviews with Milt Hinton, Dizzy Gillespie, and Jonah Jones, as well as archival performance footage. 1 videodisc (81 min.)

DANA 73

 

Harlem diary nine voices of resilience 1996, 1995

Jonathan Stack, Terry Williams, and Susanne Szabo Rostock

Nine Harlem youths use notebooks and video cameras to tell the story of their lives, under the direction of author and socio-ethnographer Terry Williams. 1 videocassette (100 min.)

DANA 668

 

Hookers at the Point Hookers at the Point : going out again 2002

Brent Owens, Going Out Productions, Inc, Delta Entertainment Corporation, and MTI Film & Video

A look at the world of prostitution at Hunts Point in the Bronx. The director observes the underworld as well as gives several women a chance to tell their life stories. A special bonus, Hookers at the Point ; going out again is a follow up on the personalities from the first film and we see where "The Life" has led them. 1 videodisc (ca. 90 min.)

MEDIA 10-281

 

Hughes' dream Harlem 2002

Jamal Joseph, Jad Joseph, Darralynn Hutson , Ossie Davis, and  Donald Cogsville

Langston Hughes was one of the most prominent figures of the Harlem Renaissance and is often referred to as Harlem's poet laureate. This film shows how Hughes successfelly fused jazz, blues and common speech to celebrate the beauty of Black life. 1 videocassette (61 min.)

MEDIA 2-5999

 

Knock off die rache am logo 2004

Katharina Weingartner, Anette Baldauf, Knock Off Productions, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, Arte (Firm), and First Run/Icarus Films

"A reflection on branding and globalization, framed by a journey up the world's longest shopping strip, Broadway in New York City, a veritable meridian of counterfeit selling... Documents an underground economy of people who resist the globalized culture of brands, by using the science of branding against itself" . 1 videodisc (44 min.)

MEDIA 10-1828

 

Love & Diane c2002

Jennifer Dworkin, Independent Television Service, Women Make Movies (Firm), Audiovisuel Multimedia International Production, ARTE France, and Chilmark Productions

This film documents one New York City family's struggle to become a family again. 1 videocassette (167 min.)

MEDIA 2-6304

 

Mean streets 1973, c1991

Martin Scorsese, Jonathan T Taplin, Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, David Proval, Amy Robinson, Richard Romanus, Cesare Danova, Warner Home Video (Firm), and Warner Bros

A small-time hood with ambitions of moving up the ladder of organized crime is stymied by his own inadequacies and the company he keeps.  The milieu of Little Italy is depicted as the director himself experienced it. 1 videocassette (112 min.)  DVD

MEDIA      MEDIA 2-1957           10-71

 

Metropolitan Avenue c1985

Christine Noschese and New Day Films

An inspiring documentary about grassroots women who became leaders in an effort to save their community. Examines the lives of seven women living in the Greenpoint-Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. 1 videocassette (60 min.)

MEDIA D-75

 

New Deal, New York  1993

Dante J James, Steve Fayer, and Joe Morton 

During his first 100 days in office, President Roosevelt created numerous new federal agencies giving jobs and relief to people and transforming the American landscape with public works projects like the CCC. New York's Mayor LaGuardia, the immigrant's son, and FDR, the American aristocrat, were unlikely partners, yet together the expanded and redefined the role of government in people's lives. Includes archival film footage. 1 videocassette (57 min.)

MEDIA. MEDIA 2-2224 2-4178

 

New York a documentary film 1999-2001

Ric Burns, Lisa Ades, and James Sanders

Chronicles the history of New York from its founding in 1624 as a Dutch trading post to its continuing pre-eminence in the culture and economy of the world. 12 videocassettes (ca. 840 min.)

DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA. DANA. MEDIA. MEDIA. MEDIA. MEDIA. MEDIA. MEDIA. MEDIA. MEDIA. MEDIA. MEDIA. MEDIA. MEDIA 1551 cassette 1 1551 cassette 2 1551 cassette 3 1551 cassette 4 1551 cassette 5 1551 cassette 6 1551 cassette 7 1551 cassette 8 1551 cassette 9 1551 cassette 10 1551 cassette 11 1551 cassette 12 2-4302 cassette 1 2-4303 cassette 2 2-4304 cassette 3 2-4305 cassette 4 2-4306 cassette 5 2-4307 cassette 6 2-4308 cassette 7 2-4309 cassette 8 2-4310 cassette 9 2-4311 cassette 10 2-4361 cassette 11 2-4362 cassette 12, 10-497 v.1-8

 

The New York films c2009

Chantal Akerman, Helene Films, Unitae Trois, Institut national de l'audiovisuel (France), Paradise Films, Janus Films, and Criterion Collection (Firm)

La chambre: The furniture and clutter of one small apartment room becomes the subject of moving still life in this experimental short film. Hotel Monterey: A cheap Manhattan hotel glows with mystery and unexpected beauty. News from home: This unforgettable time capsule of the city is a gorgeous meditation on urban alienation and personal and familial disconnection. 1 videodisc (159 min.)

MEDIA 10-1656

 

New York underground 1997

Len Cariou, David G McCullough, Elena Mannes, and Donna Marino

Presents the building history of the oldest subway in the world, the New York City subway. 1 videocassette (57 min.)

MEDIA. MEDIA 2-3120 2-4009

 

Next stop, Greenwich Village 1992, 1976

Paul Mazursky, Tony Ray, Lenny Baker, Shelley Winters, Ellen Greene, and Christopher Walken

Set in the 50's, this is the story of a young man's struggle for independence. Larry Lapinsky leaves his home in Brooklyn for the freedom and excitement of Greenwich Village. There he starts his acting career, falls in with a group of free spirits and learns to cope with his overbearing mother. 1 videocassette (109 min.)

MEDIA 2-1958

 

Nueba Yol 1995

Angel Muńiz, Joseph Medina, Carlota Carretero, Luisito Marti, Caridad Ravelo, Raúl Carbonell, Alfonso Zayas , Rafael Villalona, and Joel Garcia

Relates the story of Balbuena, a Dominican immigrant to New York, and his daily struggles in a strange land, devoid of the comforts of his native customs, language and culture. 1 videocassette (102 min.)

DANA. MEDIA 1397 2-3798

 

Nuyorican dream 2000

Laurie Collyer, Julia Pimsleur, Katy Chevigny, John Leguizamo, Jellybean, and Robert Torres

Follows five years in the life of a New York Puerto Rican family struggling against poverty, drug addiction and incarceration, capturing the emotional immediacy of a family in a free-fall without a social safety net. It also celebrates elements of community life -- solidarity, sharing of resources, cultural citizenship -- which make day-to-day survival possible giving testimony to the central role played by Puerto Rican women in maintaining family and cultural ties. 1 videocassette (82 min.)

DANA. MEDIA 1616 2-5368

 

The orphan trains 1995

Janet Graham, Edward Gray, Stacy Keach, David G McCullough, Josh Waletzky, and Kenneth Lewis

An examination of the results of the Children's Aid Society in New York which from 1853 to 1929 send over 100,000 unwanted and orphan children from the city to homes in rural America. 1 videocassette (57 min.)

DANA. MEDIA. MEDIA 1019 2-3086 2-4067

 

The quiet one 2007, 1948

Sidney Meyers, Marie Evans Davis, Sadie Stockton, Donald Thompson, and Alpha Home Entertainment (Firm)

An award-winning documentary filmed on the streets of Harlem in the late 1940's which shows the devastating psychological effects of life in the ghetto on a ten year-old boy named Donald. Abandoned by his parents, Donald lives a life of quiet despair until he is sent to Wiltwyck School for Boys for psychiatric care. 1 videodisc (65 min.)

MEDIA             MEDIA 10-1362               2-1365

 

Red Hook justice c2004

Meema Spadola, Eliza Byard, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Sugar Pictures (Firm), and First Run/Icarus Films

In 2000, Red Hook, Brooklyn, opened its doors to an experimental court. Offencers are sentenced to job training, drug counseling and community service. If they fail, they face a longer jail sentence. 1 videocassette (54 min.)

MEDIA 2-6901

 

Robert Motherwell and the New York School storming the citadel 1990

Robert Motherwell, Catherine Tatge, and Jonathan Epstein

This program from the PBS American masters series explores the Abstract Expressionist movement and presents a portrait of its most important artist: Robert Motherwell (1915-1991). Featured are Motherwell's last major interview, archival footage and photographs of other maverick artists (Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Franz Kline), of Greenwich Village where they lived, and of events that shaped their lives. 1 videocassette (56 min.)

DANA 744

 

Seven days in Bensonhurst 1990

Judy Woodruff and Thomas Lennon

Yusuf Hawkins was murdered on an August evening in the neighborhood of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.  Frontline goes beyond the tragedy of a young man's death to examine how a racial event can be used by blacks and whites, politicians and the media as a vehicle for their own special interests.  This program chronicles a series of explosive events which reveal the nature of New York's racial tensions. 1 videocassette (59 min.)

MEDIA. MEDIA 2-830 2-1208

 

Slave Island New York's hidden history c2004

Ian Potts, Julian Richards, Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Firm), British Broadcasting Corporation, and Learning Channel (Firm)

Examines the excavation of an 18th century slave cemetery in downtown Manhattan. Scholars and leading experts conduct archaeological and forensic analyses of the remains of nearly 400 African Americans slaves who were forced to serve either the Dutch West India Company or English masters. Uses dramatic reenactments, early maps, and documents from slave traders to piece together the history of slavery in the city of New York. 1 videodisc (49 min.)

DANA 150

 

The Statue of Liberty 1996

Ken Burns, Buddy Squires, Bernard A Weisberger, Geoffrey C Ward, and David G McCullough

Features archival photographs, paintings and drawings to tell the story of the statue's construction and installation, along with readings from diaries, letters and newspaper accounts. Part 2 includes interviews with New York Governor Mario Cuomo, writers James Baldwin and Jerzy Kosinski and musician Ray Charles. Film clips show Charlie Chaplin, Jimmy Stewart and Charlton Heston in Hollywood episodes with the statue. 1 videocassette (ca. 60 min.)

MEDIA 2-4216

 

The Statue of Liberty building a colossus 2004

Corin Watson, Morningstar Entertainment Inc, Learning Channel (Firm), and Chip Taylor Communications

This highly acclaimed documentary tells that remarkable and little known true story of the Statue of Liberty. 1 videocassette (52 min.)

MEDIA  2-7299

 

Take it from me welfare is only part of the story c2008

Emily Abt, Geeta Gandbhir, Eliot Ferguson, and Pureland Pictures

Follows four mothers in New York City over the course of a year as they struggle to comply with new work requirements, find reliable child care and transportation, battle drug addiction and depression, confront domestic violence, and try to make ends meet in the new era of welfare reform. 1 videodisc (75 min.)

MEDIA 10-1535

 

Taxi-vala auto-biography c1994

Vivek Bald, Mistaken Identity (Firm), and Newsreel (Firm)

Documentary, exploring the experiences and attitudes of Indian and Pakistani taxi drivers in New York City, questions as well the filmmaker's relationship to these South Asian immigrants and to his mixed-race heritage. 1 videocassette (48 min.)

DANA 2196

 

The Ten year lunch the wit and legend of the Algonquin Round Table 1987

Aviva Slesin

From 1919 to 1929 in New York City's Algonquin Hotel, a group of poets, novelists, playwrights, critics, humorists and editors met each day to lunch and to exchange opinions, gossip and the most cutting wit of the day. The core members of the Round Table included Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Edna Ferber, Harpo Marx, Alexander Woollcott, George S. Kaufman, Franklin Pierce Adams, Harold Ross, Robert Sherwood, Marc Connelly and Heywood Broun. This film documents the lives and times of these men and women whose legacy of humor and literary sophistication remains influential in American culture today. 1 videocassette (60 min.)

MEDIA D-436

 

That old gang of mine 1996

Carlos de Jesus

A portrait of growing up in New York city's El Barrio in the late 1940's and '50s set against that neighborhood as it exists today. Film includes archival footage and interviews with four generations of New Yorkers of Puerto Rican heritage. 1 videocassette (56 min.)

MEDIA 2-5829

 

Trouble on fashion avenue c1982

Stefan Moore, Claude Beller, TVG Documentary Arts Project, WNET (Television station : New York, N.Y.), and Devlin (Firm)

Explores the history and present state of New York City's garment industry. Includes a look at the conditions of labor in modern day sweat shops which exploit a new generation of immigrants and the influence of organized crime on management and in the garment workers' union itself. 1 videocassette (ca. 59 min.)

MEDIA D-115

 

West 47th Street c2003

Bill Lichtenstein, June Peoples, and Lichtenstein Creative Media, Inc

This documentary provides an unprecedented window on the lives of mentally ill people. It is set at Fountain House, a rehabilitation program for people with serious mental illness located in New York City's Hell's Kitchen. 1 videodisc (83 min.)

MEDIA 10-1191

 

Working girls 1987

Lizzie Borden, Andi Gladstone, Louise Smith, Ellen McElduff, Amanda Goodwin, Marusia Zach, Janne Peters, and Helen Nicholas

With humour and candor, producer Lizzie Borden recreates a typical day in the life of a middle class brothel in New York City, and lets the viewer share the experience of women paid to guarantee satisfaction as told from a woman's perspective. The film treats prostitutes less as stereotypes and more as people--people with feelings, concerns, goals and dreams--just like anybody else. 1 videocassette (93 min.)

MEDIA  MEDIA 2-1868      10-1495

The World that Moses built 1988

Examines the career of Robert Moses the "master builder" of the century.  Shows that his public project not only shaped the landscape of New York City but influenced urban area across the nation. 1 videocassette (58 min.)

MEDIA 2-722

 

Yudie c1974

Mirra Bank, Yudie Bank, and New Day Films

Yudie Bank, an elderly single Jewish woman, born and raised on New York City's lower east side, talks about her life. Daughter of Soviet Jewish emmigrants, she tells her story with the help of family photographs and reminiscences of the teeming life of early 20th century New York. 1 videocassette (20 min.)

MEDIA D-276